Happy Birthday, Oscar Peterson

I meant to post this earlier in the day but somehow never got around to it. Bad dog...

Oscar Peterson turns 80 years young today. Big doin's in Toronto, at a ceremony attended by jazz luminaries at an HMV store downtown, Canada Post unveiled a commemorative stamp. To mark the occasion Jazz FM 91.1 has played nothing but OP's music all day. Says something about the man's career when a radio station can do that. They post playlists on their website, check it out. The man has played with everybody. And who knew he recorded a vocal album? I missed the details, I think it was 1954 with Ernie Wilkins' big band (?). Apparently he didn't dig being compared to Nat King Cole, and never recorded vocals again. Too bad, the man's a damn fine singer too.

As Larry Green observed on the air this afternoon, in a musical genre where many gifted artists have died prematurely due to poor lifestyle choices, to reach 80 years of age and still be performing is quite an accomplishment. It's been a day of great music (what I've heard of it, day job...). And to ice the cake, he's Canadian.